Educational Researcher
- Washington, DC : AERA, c2019.
- 133-179 pages ; 28 cm.
- Educational Researcher, Volume 48, Issue 3, April 2019 .
Includes bibliographical references.
Does STEM Stand Out? Examining Racial/Ethnic Gaps in Persistence Across Postsecondary Fields -- The BUDL Effect: Examining Academic Achievement and Engagement Outcomes of Preadolescent Baltimore Urban Debate League Participants -- Rigorous Large-Scale Educational RCTs Are Often Uninformative: Should We Be Concerned? -- Successes and Challenges of the “New” College- and Career-Ready Standards: Seven Implementation Trends.
[Article Title : Does STEM Stand Out? Examining Racial/Ethnic Gaps in Persistence Across Postsecondary Fields / Catherine Riegle-Crumb, Barbara King, and Yasmiyn Irizarry, p. 133-144]
Abstract : Informed by the theoretical lens of opportunity hoarding, this study considers whether STEM postsecondary fields stand apart via the disproportionate exclusion of Black and Latina/o youth. Utilizing national data from the Beginning Postsecondary Study (BPS), the authors investigate whether Black and Latina/o youth who begin college as STEM majors are more likely to depart than their White peers, either by switching fields or by leaving college without a degree, and whether patterns of departure in STEM fields differ from those in non-STEM fields. Results reveal evidence of persistent racial/ethnic inequality in STEM degree attainment not found in other fields. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X19831006 [Article Title : The BUDL Effect: Examining Academic Achievement and Engagement Outcomes of Preadolescent Baltimore Urban Debate League Participants / Daniel Shackelford, p. 145-157]
Abstract : This study adds to the limited literature base on extracurricular debate by using doubly robust inverse probability treatment weighting to estimate the average treatment effect for the treated of preadolescent debate participation on a variety of academic and engagement outcomes among a 10-year longitudinal sample of Baltimore City Public School System students. The effect of preadolescent Baltimore Urban Debate League participation for debaters was associated with increases in standardized test scores, a decreased likelihood of chronic absenteeism, and an increased likelihood of attending a selective entrance criteria high school. Although there is a mounting body of research that suggests participation in debate is associated with increases in positive outcomes for high school students, this research constitutes the first quantitative study to examine these relationships among elementary and middle school students. Policy implications for educational interventions that seek to attract low-income students of color in urban areas and influence their trajectories at earlier stages of student development are discussed. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X19830998 [Article Title : Rigorous Large-Scale Educational RCTs Are Often Uninformative: Should We Be Concerned? / Hugues Lortie-Forgues and Matthew Inglis, p. 158-166]
Abstract : There are a growing number of large-scale educational randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Considering their expense, it is important to reflect on the effectiveness of this approach. We assessed the magnitude and precision of effects found in those large-scale RCTs commissioned by the UK-based Education Endowment Foundation and the U.S.-based National Center for Educational Evaluation and Regional Assistance, which evaluated interventions aimed at improving academic achievement in K–12 (141 RCTs; 1,222,024 students). The mean effect size was 0.06 standard deviations. These sat within relatively large confidence intervals (mean width = 0.30 SDs), which meant that the results were often uninformative (the median Bayes factor was 0.56). We argue that our field needs, as a priority, to understand why educational RCTs often find small and uninformative effects. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X19832850 [Article Title : Successes and Challenges of the “New” College- and Career-Ready Standards: Seven Implementation Trends / Laura M. Desimone, Amy Stornaiuolo, Nelson Flores, Katie Pak, Adam Edgerton https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5560-1837, T. Philip Nichols, Emily C. Plummer, and Andrew Porter, p. 167-178]
Abstract : This study identifies seven major trends in how states and districts are implementing college- and career-ready standards for general education students and for two special populations often the target of education policy—English language learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities (SWDs). We draw on state-representative teacher, principal, and district surveys in three states—Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas—and case studies in nine districts. We ground our study in the policy attributes framework, which suggests implementation is stronger the more specific, authoritative, powerful, consistent, and stable a policy is. We find states are being less prescriptive in their policies surrounding the standards and are including fewer or less forceful rewards and sanctions (power). Local districts are providing more detailed, standards-aligned professional development (specificity) and supporting materials to guide teachers’ standards implementation (consistency). Districts are using “softer” power mechanisms instead of the “strong” rewards and sanctions of earlier waves of reform. This results in higher buy-in (authority) but creates challenges for districts in providing the necessary supports for teachers. In ELL policy, two national organizations are providing much of the specificity and consistency for standards implementation, and they do this through mechanisms of authority rather than through power mechanisms. For SWDs, implementation support is focused on compliance, and the enduring tension between standardization and individuality persists. Creative district approaches and moderate to high levels of authority hold promise for this wave of college- and career-ready standards. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X19837239